How Does Master of Orion's Multiplayer Work?

We break down all the information you need to know about Master of Orion’s multiplayer mode.

Multiplayer is a valuable component to many 4X games, and a key selling point. But how does multiplayer in Master of Orion work? Is combat auto resolved, or do players receive the chance to make choices for their fleet, like in the game’s single player mode? What about turns? Do they process sequentially, simultaneously, or in some other fashion? We break down all the details surrounding Master of Orion’s multiplayer component so you know exactly what you’re getting in to.

Multiplayer turns in Master of Orion play out simultaneously, where players choose their actions all at the same time. This allows the game to progress much faster than it would using a sequential turn system, and also allows for a much more streamlined approach to large multiplayer matches. The biggest thing to pay attention to is the 60-second timer that begins counting down whenever a player chooses the next turn option. This gives additional players who haven’t finished selecting their actions one minute of additional time to finish their turn and choose the next turn option. If they don’t finish their actions before the timer finishes counting down, their turn will end and they’ll need to complete additional actions on the next turn.

All player orders execute on turn, when they are selected, except for movement and combat orders. This means that any production selections, research selections, or change to planetary population setup (moving one colonist from the Research tier to the Production tier, etc.) all happen as soon as they are selected by the player. Combat and movement orders happen when the turns are processed, either after every player chooses the next turn option, or the turn has automatically ended after the 60-second timer reaches zero.

Combat in Master of Orion’s multiplayer does not include the game’s RTS-styled tactical combat. Instead, all combat orders are carried out using the auto resolve format, meaning that players will only see the results of the battle, and not the actual battle itself. This is done to increase the game’s progression speed, and as a result, helps the game to move much quicker than it would using the game’s tactical combat system.

Master of Orion’s multiplayer system was built from the ground up to include quick turns, action processing, and combat simulation. Everything about the game’s multiplayer is meant to help move matches forward as quickly as possible, while still offering plenty of options for players to make each turn count. While the late-game turns do take a bit longer to process, the overall turn progression helps to highlight just how important being able to sit down and move quickly through a 4X game is. This allows any users, who have limited free time, an ample opportunity to dive into the game and enjoy it with their friends, no matter how much you have going on each day.